It’s not touted as such,
but Beasts of the Southern Wild
is an environmental justice movie.
The female lead—
a young girl—
tells us,
in voice-overs
throughout:
Everything is of one piece,
everything fits together,
one part affects the other parts.
She repeats it
as the story
shows it.
There are other powerful
elements:
the life-empowering,
woman-empowering relationship
between this little girl
and her father;
how to express love
so that the other knows
love;
the creative value of solidarity,
community.
Watching this story
is a many-layered,
rich,
meaningful experience.
The environmental justice theme
may be the least marketable,
but that message is critical:
Humans make a difference
and we must learn that,
so that we can make a difference
that sustains all,
so that all may thrive.

If you haven’t seen it,
give us a call
and come to Turtle Rock Farm.
We’ll watch it with you,
discuss it,
then step out
into the starlight
or the sunlight
to behold this one
wondrous
living
organism.